After the Storm
by claritysmiles
Summary: She was like the ocean: deadly, beautiful, and breathtaking. They were kindred spirits, one in the same." Jacob runs out into the storm to find Leah. He ends up learning more about his "insufferable Beta" than he thought he knew.


**Something I couldn't get out of my head. This is helping with the Writer's Block I currently have with Sapphire Moon. D: Might make this into a story, after I finish Sapphire Moon of course. Underlying Blackwater at the moment. Might be full out Blackwater if I continue. Peace :D **

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**After the Storm**

Of all the days that Leah decided to disappear without saying a word to anyone, she _had_ to pick today. And of all the people who could have gone out to look for her, it _had_ to be me. Sometimes I wonder why I ever put up with her, but better her than Paul, who was in _my_ house, eating _my_ food, on _my_ couch. He was lucky that he imprinted on my sister, or I would have killed him ages ago.

I was at home watching the weather (since there was nothing else on), after spending most of the day with Nessie. The weatherman had forecasted that the Olympic Peninsula was going to receive a pretty intense rainstorm, wrapped up with lightning, thunder, and strong winds. I laughed, feeling a little sorry for the people who might end up stuck outside when the storm hit. Ah, but Karma would come back to bite me in the ass for that.

Seth called me an hour later, saying that Leah had been gone since early that morning and with the storm coming, he was getting worried that something might happen to her. I tried to reassure him that she was fine and that she'd probably be home soon, but he _insisted_ that we go out and try to find her.

"Seth, there is _no way_ that I'm going to be stuck outside looking for Leah when that damn storm hits. I don't care if she is your sister, I'm not going out looking for her." I wouldn't budge. Seth was always fun to be around, but Leah was a different story. Putting it nicely, she was _unpleasant_ to be around.

Seth's tone became very serious. "Jake, she's part of the pack and she's _your_ Beta. It's _your_ responsibility to look out for all of us, even more so Leah since she _is_ your second-in-command. So, how about you get your mind off of Nessie, _for once_, and help me find my sister before my mom comes home and thinks that not only has she lost her _husband_ but her _only daughter,_ as well." The guilt trip; the kid really needed to stop hanging out with Leah, because that was one hell of a low blow.

Hence why I'm out here, running through the mud and puddles, getting soaked to the bone, trying to find my insufferable Beta. Seth stayed home, in case Leah really did get home on her own, since Sue was over at Charlie's house and had no idea about what was going on.

'_Leah, I swear that when I find you, I'm going to make you patrol in the rain for the next month!'_ I yelled mentally.

I tried to find Leah's scent, but the rain had washed out any trace of her. I was basically running blind, which made this whole ordeal that much worse. At this point, I didn't even care about going home as long as I was somewhere that was dry, had four walls, and a roof. Hell, I'd settle for three walls.

I ended up at the cliffs, looking down at the waves crashing against the sides, just begging to break through the barrier that the cliffs created. It was like looking at a wild animal, thrashing against the sides of its cage, looking for a way to break free. It was almost like looking at Leah. Both were untamable forces of nature, forceful and deadly, wanting to take down anything and everything that looked to stop them. Both were mystifyingly beautiful, drawing the attention of people to want to learn more, but if you got too close you'd find yourself pleading for your life. Ironically, both were at the mercy of the moon, forever changing against their will, servants of a force they could never seem to overcome. They were kindred spirits, one in the same.

When I finally tore my gaze away from the malicious temptress, I noticed that the storm was beginning to clear up. It was getting late and I was more water than wolf, at the moment. Leah _must_ have shown up at the Clearwater's home by now. I was going to get a bad case of pneumonia or something, while Leah was probably sitting on her couch or in her room sulking about Sam, all nice and warm.

I turned to leave, when something caught my eye from the beach. I looked more carefully and saw the lone figure of a young woman sitting on a large boulder, with her knees pressed tightly against her chest, her arms wrapping around her knees, and her head resting on top of them looking out into the luring black waves.

It was Leah.

I raced down to the beach and phased, throwing on the shorts I had tied to my leg. I was debating whether to yell at her for having me run around all of Forks and La Push looking for her or just drag her home kicking and screaming. I decided on the former, but as I got closer, one look at her face made me stop in my tracks. She had a gentle smile on her face, her eyes holding that similar spark of life that I hadn't seen since the fight with the newborns. She looked so somber and peaceful, something I hadn't seen in such a long time, that I suddenly felt like I was intruding. I wanted to back away but I couldn't find it in myself to move. I looked back at her, and jumped slightly to see her looking at me, with the same somber look on her face.

"You know," she began softly, "when I was younger, probably around six or seven, my dad asked me what I was afraid of the most. I thought about it for a while, until I finally told him that I was scared of the ocean. He asked me why, and I just looked at him with the most unbelievable look on my face, thinking that the answer was obvious. He repeated the question and you know what I said? I said, 'Because it's scary!' He just looked at me and laughed, and took my hand in his, leading me outside.

"I asked him where we were going, but he just shook his head and said that it was a secret. I was a little annoyed, but I didn't say anything. We kept walking, hand in hand, and at one point it started to rain, exactly how it rained today. I looked up at him, wondering if we were going to head back, but he just kept walking. I didn't really care, since I _loved_ the rain. Sometimes, him or my mom would catch me just staring out of the window, watching the rain fall, and I would have such a longing look on my face that they decided to just let me go outside and play in the rain." She had a faraway look on her face the whole time she talked. She looked so happy and her smile only grew as she continued with her story.

"When we were finally getting close to the 'secret place,' my dad kneeled down next to me and asked me if I trusted him. I told him of course I did and asked why he was asking. Instead of answering, he just picked me up and carried me on his back, walking to our destination. When I finally felt him stop, I looked and saw that we were at the beach.

"I was scared, but I tried not to show it. My dad started walking and set me down on this very spot, and sat down right in back of me. He asked me again why I was afraid of the ocean. I thought about it again, and finally I came up with an answer. I turned to look him in the eye and said, 'I don't really know.'"

By this time, the rain had already stopped pouring down on us and I was still standing, rooted to the same spot when I first spotted her. I'd known her most of my life and she was always pretty much a tomboy. Leah had no problem getting into scraps with other kids, especially Paul. So, her telling me that she was afraid of the ocean, made me question how much I actually knew her.

She turned her attention to the ocean and continued. "He hugged me tightly and told me that if I didn't have a good reason then there really was nothing to be scared about. He told me that while I may have been scared of the ocean, he loved it and respected it. It was a force to be reckoned with, and was by no means any less dangerous. However, the ocean held a vast amount of beauty and strength that you have to work to see. She held many secrets and if you were one of the lucky few to see them, you were truly blessed.

"'It reminds me of you, Lee. Whenever you enter a room, everyone stops and stares at you. They're mesmerized by everything about you, from your bright smile to your glittering personality. You're a breathtaking sight, Lee, and you make a long-lasting impression on everyone who meets you.' He stopped for a moment and let it sink in before he continued with the similarities the ocean and I shared. 'And, my little wolf, when you're angry, there's no one who can stop your tirade. You're like a wildfire, uncontrollable and dangerous, but eventually you simmer down.' I remember that he laughed a lot after that. 'You can't be controlled, which is sometimes a pain, but I wouldn't have you any other way. You're a free spirit who should never allow anyone to tame you.'

"I thought about it and realized he _was_ right. The ocean is ever-changing in her moods and she is a force that you have to learn to love, but you shouldn't fear her. She has her moments, but you have to look beyond that to really see her for what she is. 'If you're afraid of the ocean, Lee, then you're afraid of yourself and you should never be afraid of who you are or what you can do, because you'll only end up hating yourself.'"

With her story finished, Leah settled into a comfortable silence, staring out into the embodiment that Mother Nature had so carefully chosen for her. I watched her, sitting on top of that boulder that held a long-lasting memory that she held so close to her heart, and wondered briefly why she chose to tell me this story. I wanted to ask her but I couldn't find my voice. It felt as if something was stopping me from asking and I wondered if it was the combined spirit of the two volatile forces I currently faced.

Finally, my body moved and I went over to the boulder Leah sat on. I sat right in back of her and wrapped my arms around her. She didn't flinch or move, which I took as a good sign. I looked at her and then out at the ocean, that had calmed throughout the entirety of her story.

"Your father was right." I told her. "You're both one in the same. But, if the ocean is able to show both her pain _and_ joy, why can't you?"

She turned her head to look back at me. "I have too much anger and pain to just let it go. It's not as easy for me as it is for my 'counterpart'." I smiled a little at that.

"Life hasn't treated you the way that you wanted, but that doesn't mean that you should let all the screwed up things its done to you rule your life. No one wants you to go through the rest of your life bitter and cynical. I miss the old Leah, the one who would kick Paul's ass whenever he made fun of the dresses her mom picked for her to wear. Or the old Leah who comforted me and my sisters when our mom died. I especially miss the old Leah who made Seth cookies and brownies, but would always made a few extra whenever I came over." We both laughed at the memories. She stared at me for a moment before looking back at the ocean. After sitting there in complete silence, she turned back to me and spoke.

"Do you think that maybe, just maybe, my life _before_ I phased was the 'calm before the storm'?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, take today, for example. Early this morning, the ocean was as calm as calm could be. The way the sun hit it, made it shine so beautifully, like a newly polished diamond. It was so perfect. But, later on, the rain began and the peace and calm was broken, and the waves began crashing. As time passed by, it became more violent and chaotic. But now, it's back to being the calm beauty it was at the beginning, not exactly the same, but vaguely similar.

"Maybe…the time I spent with Sam was _my_ calm before the storm. My life was exactly where I wanted it to be, and I was happy but as soon as Sam became a wolf and imprinted on Emily, my life went through so much chaos. Things only got worse when I phased and when my dad died. And let's not forget, having to hear every thought Sam had about how much he loved Emily. But when you left the pack and formed your own, things looked like they were going to get better. And, I think they have. It's not perfect and it'll still take a while, but I think I'm getting there."

I thought about what she said and came to the conclusion that she was right. A storm had come though her life, but it was slowly moving away. I had to admit, she actually _was_ slightly better than she used to be when we were all in Sam's pack, but only _slightly. It was going to take some time, but she had plenty of that to spare. _

"Hey, Lee?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you make Seth some cookies and brownies when you get back?" I asked smirking. She rolled her eyes at me, smiling brightly, and nudged me with her shoulder. No one could tame the feisty wolf that I held protectively in my arms. Harry Clearwater knew it, Sam knew it, I knew it, and probably most of La Push knew it, as well.

And honestly, man was never meant to tame nature.

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**Hope you liked it my pretties. :D R&R **


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